Life seems to be more stressful lately, with all the new advancements and the need for us humans to cope with these astronomical changes. It’s no surprise that young parents or new ones at present are unable to spend the required amount of time with their toddlers or kindergarteners. There is also the question of activity – suppose the parents do get time, but thinking of things to do can be another headache.
Movies are always a good way to bond, even though parents might argue about it being more of a passive activity. But movies can be a fun way to learn new things and deal with intense emotions, even for the young ones. I mean, I remember crying my eyes out when I was about eight years old and had just finished watching ‘Wall -E,’ and to be honest, 12 years later, I still cry while watching the end.
This list will bring forth some of the best movies you can enjoy with your toddlers in 2023, and it does contain some movies that are to be released at a future date, so you can add the dates to your calendar. And no matter the age, I am sure you will recognize some of the titles from your childhood as well, like an updated version of ‘Jurassic Park’ and ‘Carl’s Date,’ which is about Carl’s life after ‘Up (2009)’.
Kids and Family Movies To Watch In 2023
1. Elemental
Elemental is an animated movie by Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios. It is somewhat inspired by director Peter Sohn’s life journey and his relationship with his parents. He is also the director of The Good Dinosaur (2015), and those who have watched it might find it surprising to know that this movie, too, was inspired by his personal family dynamic with his parents and brothers.
The movie is set to begin the theatrical release on June 16, and the production companies have not given out many details about the storyline. But we do know that this movie is set in a fictional city where fire, water, land, and air live together; we follow our main characters – a ‘fire’ woman and a chill ‘water’ guy figuring out how even though they are elementally different from one another, they are somehow more similar than they think.
The movie will debut at the 76th Cannes Film Festival and will be available in theaters in the Indian Subcontinent from June 16. Streaming will also be available on Disney+.
- Director: Peter Sohn
- Release Date: June 16, 2023
- Runtime: 1 hour 42 minutes
- Genre: Animation, Comedy
- Streaming Platform: Disney+ (July 18, 2023)
- Voice Actors: Leah Lewis, Mamoudou Athie, Catherine O’Hara, Joe Pera, and others
- Producer: Denise Ream
2. Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken
Ruby Gillman is a normal invisible teenager attending Oceanside High. She tries her best, but no one seems to particularly include her in activities. She is super smart, though. This year she is assigned as a math tutor to a skater-boy that she has come to develop a crush on.
Life is pretty boring for her, and her overprotective mother doesn’t seem to make it any better. She is forbidden from hanging out at the beach with her friends and, most importantly, never going near the water. One day Ruby had had enough and went against her mother’s rule and dived into the ocean.
She soon realizes that her life is a lot more than what she believes it to be. Ruby is not only a descendant of a line of mystical Krakens, but she is the next queen. Her grandmother is the Warrior Queen of the Seven Seas, and she, together with her Krakens, protects the seas from the greedy mermaids.
Ruby finally feels like she has a greater purpose and starts learning about her new life. She also figures that the new girl from school is also a mermaid.
- Director: Kirk DeMicco
- Release Date: June 30, 2023
- Runtime: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Genre: Comedy, Animated, Action, Fantasy
- Streaming Platform: Not Available
- Voice Actors: Lana Condor, Toni Collette, Annie Murphy, Sam Richardson, Liza Koshy, Will Forte, and others
- Producer: Kelly Cooney Cilella
3. The Little Mermaid
Probably THE MOST anticipated Disney Princess movie of the year and also the most talked about for the past few years due to casting choices, The Little Mermaid is finally set to hit theatres on May 26, 2023. The storyline remains mostly the same as the original movie released back in 1989.
The story follows our protagonist Ariel, who lives in Atlantica and is one of the daughters of King Triton. The merpeople are scared of the surface because the humans have not been kind to them, but Ariel falls in love with a prince from the surface. She desperately wants to see him on land but cannot do so while still in her mermaid form. She reaches out to Ursula, a sea witch, and Ursula grants her legs in exchange for her voice. We then follow Ariel through her hardships, but finally, she is given a happy ending with Prince Eric.
The remake stars Halle Bailey as Ariel, which made a lot of people upset as a dark-skinned mermaid is not ‘scientifically accurate,’ as if the concept of a mermaid is very logical. Anyway, Disney did not give in to the negativity. Jonah-Hauer King is Prince Eric, even though Harry Styles was considered for the role initially.
- Director: Rob Marshall
- Based On: The Little Mermaid by Han Christian Anderson
- Release Date: May 26, 2023
- Runtime: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Musical
- Streaming Platform: Not Yet Available (Disney+)
- Cast and Voice Actors: Halle Bailey, Melissa McCarthy, Simone Ashley, Jonah-Hauer King, Jessica Alexander, and others
- Producers: Marc Platt, Rob Marshall, Jon DeLuca, Lin-Manuel Miranda
4. Wonka
I know we all remember Willy Wonka from our childhood. If not, you are either too young or had a boring childhood, sorry I do not make the rules. We’ve either read or watched Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Ronald Dahl and come to wonder what are the Oompa-Loompas and how does one find them?
Some of the questions will be answered in this movie. The movie is likely going to be released this year around Christmas and features Timothee Chalamet as young Willy Wonka. The film is distributed and marketed by Warner Bros Pictures, and they seem quite reserved about any information regarding the main content of the movie. Besides the basics, where they state that this movie is about young Willy Wonka’s journey after he leaves home and his dentist father to meet the Oompa-Loompas and finally establish the Chocolate Factory.
The role of Willy Wonka has seen amazing actors like Johnny Depp and Gene Wilder, and even though Timothee Chalamet is loved by Hollywood and internationally, it’s still a pressurizing role. Let’s hope Timothee is able to deliver the kind of performance he has already displayed in movies like Little Women and Bones and All.
- Director: Paul King
- Release Date: December 15, 2023
- Runtime: Not Available
- Genre: Family, Adventure, Fantasy, Musical
- Streaming Platform: Not Available
- Cast: Timothee Chalamet, Rowan Atkinson, Hugh Grant, Olivia Colman, Matt Lucas, and others
- Producers: David Heyman, Luke Kelly, Alexandra Derbyshire
5. The Amazing Maurice
The Amazing Maurice is distributed by Sky Cinema and produced by multiple companies, including Ulysses Filmproduktion and Cantilever Media. The plot is really interesting and has an IMDb rating of 6.5. The story follows a cunning (quite obviously) ginger cat, Maurice, and his friends Keith and a group of rats.
Maurice figures out that together they could scam the people of the villages into paying them and making money. Maurice asks the group of rats to exploit the people of the town and then convince the people to hire Keith, who was a pied piper, to rid the town of the rat problem. Their plans fall apart when they visit the town of Bad Blintz.
The town, at that point, was facing a food shortage even though it had no initial rat problem. When Keith goes to offer his services to the major of the town, his daughter Malicia figures out their little scheme and threatens to expose them if they do not help her figure out the problem with the food shortage. Maurice and his company set out on the journey to save the people of the town from starvation.
- Director: Toby Genkel
- Based On: The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett
- Release Date: February 3, 2023 (wide release)
- Runtime: 1 hour 33 minutes
- Genre: Animation, Family, Comedy
- Streaming Platforms: Prime Video, Vudu, Redbox
- Voice Actors: Emilia Clarke, Hamesh Patel, Huge Laurie, David Thewlis, and others
- Producers: Emely Christians, Andrew Baker, Robert Chandler, Rob Wilkins
6. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
This movie follows the events taking place after Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which was released in 2018. The movie was announced in 2019 and scheduled to be released in 2022 but got delayed due to the pandemic. The movie is set to release on June 2, 2023. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is brought to the viewers by Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation, and Marvel Entertainment.
In this installment of the trilogy about the Spider-Verse, we see Gwen Stacy, or Spider-Woman, and Miles Morales, or Spider-Man, travel into the multiverse to save the Spider-People. The Spider-People are in need of saving from the Spot.
We know the Spot from the Marvel comics as a supervillain who is often acting against Spider-Man or Daredevil and has the power to open portals and travel through different dimensions. While trying to rescue the Spider-People, Gwen and Miles become acquainted with the Spider-Society with the same motive but a different approach which later causes conflicts between the two teams.
- Directors: Joaquim Dos Santos, Justin K. Thompson, Kemp Powers
- Release Date: June 2, 2023
- Runtime: 2hoursr 16 minutes
- Genre: Animation, Action, Adventure
- Streaming Platform: Netflix (December 2023)
- Voice Actors: Hailee Steinfeld, Oscar Isaac, Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, and others
- Producers: Avi Arad, Amy Pascal, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, Christina Steinberg
7. Wish
This movie is produced completely by Walt Disney and is made to honor the 100th anniversary of Walt Disney in the industry. As per writers, the main plot is centered around ‘wishes that come true,’ which has also been the main plotline of the majority of Disney movies.
We find ourselves in the kingdom of Rosas, ruled by King Magnifico, who is the ultimate keeper of wishes. In this kingdom lives a teenage girl named Asha. Asha has the feeling that King Magnifico is not really who he claims to be, but she cannot convince anyone of her feeling. One day she wishes on a star, and the Star comes to her and reveals that it has the ability to grant wishes and also help her out.
Asha, with Star by her side, decides to do whatever it takes to protect the wishes of the people of her kingdom and the world. The movie still has months left to release, so not much information about the plotline can be found. Oh! The movie also features Valentino, a goat that has been granted the ability to speak.
- Directors: Chris Buck, Fawn Veerasunthorn
- Release Date: November 22, 2023
- Runtime: Not Available
- Genre: Animation, Family, Adventure, Fantasy, Musical
- Streaming Platform: (Not Confirmed) Disney+
- Voice Actors: Ariana DeBose, Chris Pine, Alan Tudyk, and others
- Producers: Peter Del Vecho, Juan Pablo Reyes
8. Miraculous: Ladybug and Cat Noir: The Movie
The movie follows the same characters from the French tv-show that gained immense popularity in recent years. For those unfamiliar with the show, here’s a quick explanation, we have our main characters Marinette Dupain Cheng and Adrien Agreste, seemingly normal teenagers, with Marinette having an intense crush on Adrien.
One day the pair receives these tokens, and on inspection, the tokens help them transform into superheroes. Marinette takes on the name of Ladybug and Adrien, Cat Noir. The two try and protect Paris from supervillains while also keeping their identities private from each other and the world.
The movie has been delayed for years, and it was made in 2019, and ever since has been postponed constantly. The movie will be in theatres in selected places throughout Europe like Italy, Germany, Netherlands, and some French and German-known regions of Luxembourg, Belgium, and more. For the international audience, unfortunately, the movie will not be available in theatres, but Netflix is set to launch the movie on July 28.
- Director: Jeremy Zag
- Release Date: July 11, 2023 (wide)
- Runtime: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Genre: Adventure, Animation, Musical
- Streaming Platform: Netflix
- Voice Actors (English): Selah Victor, Cristina Vee, Sabrina Weisz, Zeno Robinson, Bryce Papenbrook, and others
- Producers: Aton Soumache, Jeremy Zag, Daisy Chang
9. Peter Pan and Wendy
On the bandwagon of live-action Disney remakes, we have another member. Peter Pan and Wendy (2023) is the remake of the Walt Disney movie released in 1953 by the name Peter Pan. Most Disney kids are already quite familiar with the plot or, at the very least, know who Peter Pan is.
The story follows a young girl named Wendy; she’s being sent off to boarding school. She does not want to go, she wants to stay with her family and siblings, and most importantly, she does not want to grow up. That night she is visited by Peter Pan and his best friend, Tinker Bell. Peter Pan takes Wendy and her brother to Neverland, where Peter Pan claims no one has to grow up.
Peter Pan, Wendy, her brother, and Tinker Bell all travel to Neverland but are met with Captain Hook. We know later that Captain Hook and Peter have a sour history, and Hook is always out to get Peter Pan. We follow through as the group defeats Hook, and Wendy finally makes the decision to return home.
The film had started most work by 2016, but the pandemic set it back years, and finally, we were able to see the movie this year.
- Director: David Lowery
- Release Date: April 28, 2023
- Runtime: 1 hour 49 minutes
- Genre: Adventure, Family, Fantasy
- Streaming Platform: Disney+
- Cast: Alexander Molony, Ever Anderson, Jude Law, Alyssa Wapanatahk, Yara Shahidi, Molly Parker, and others
- Producer: Jim Whitaker
10. Dog Gone
Easily the most wholesome movie I have ever seen. If you’re a dog person, make sure to carry a box of tissue while watching this one, it does end on an optimistic note, but it was a whirlpool of emotions for me. The later section does contain heavy spoilers, so just a heads-up.
The movie revolves around a college student, Fielding, and his dog, Gonker. Fielding had decided to get Gonker after struggling to fit in with the other students and, since then, very emotionally attached to him. One day, months after completing college, Fielding was visiting his parents when Gonker got lost in the woods while chasing a fox.
Fielding could not find him and asked his parents to help. This incident sent his mother down memory lane, and she remembered losing her dog when she was young. Her parents were not very sympathetic towards her, which led her to set up a control room in the house and even contact the local newspaper.
The longer it took to find Gonker, the worse Fielding’s health got. After Gonker is found, the movie closes out with Fielding and Gonker sleeping together peacefully on a hospital bed.
- Director: Stephen Herek
- Release Date: March 24, 2023
- Runtime: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Genre: Family, Adventure
- Streaming Platform: Netflix
- Cast: Rob Lowe, Johnny Berchtold, Kimberly Williams Paisley, Nick Peine, and others
- Producers: Nick Santora, Jeremy Kipp Walker
11. Nimona
Nimona is based on a graphic novel of the same name. I did find some discrepancies between the film adaptation and the actual novel published in 2015. I will be keeping true to the film adaptation for this list. Nimona is a shapeshifter with the ability to turn into animals as well. She’s mostly seen in her teenage girl form.
Ballister Blackheart is a knight from the Institution who eventually gets kicked out after losing an event to Goldenloin, who is also a knight. Nimona constantly begs Ballister Blackheart to make her his sidekick and together take down the Institution. The Institution sends Goldenloin to kill her, but Goldenloin ends up being accused of a crime he did not commit.
Goldenloin figures out that Nimona is possibly the only way to clear his name and decides to work alongside her and Ballister Blackheart. The story ends with Goldenloin being exonerated and Blackheart returning to the Institution, but Nimona runs away as she feels that she no longer belongs there.
- Directors: Nick Bruno, Troy Quane
- Based On: Nimona by ND Stevenson
- Release Date: June 30, 2023
- Runtime: Not Available
- Genre: Animation, Adventure, Fantasy
- Streaming Platforms: Netflix
- Voice Actors: Chloe Grace Moretz, Riz Ahmed, Eugene Lee Yang, Frances Conroy, Beck Bennett, and others
- Producers: Karen Ryan, Julie Zackary, Roy Lee
12. Crater
If your children love science fiction, this movie is perfect for them. It’s also very inspiring, and if I had seen this film as a kid, I would’ve definitely wanted to be an astronaut. It is set in the future, in the year 2257, and humans are now living on the moon. They did fail to colonize it the way they imagined, but the moon has proven to be very rich in minerals, and thus we mine there.
The mines do have a relatively hard life on the moon. They not only have to obey what they are being told despite their better judgment but also are away from their family for years. After serving their time as miners for 20 years, they are sent off to Omega, a new planet that the humans plan on colonizing.
Michael Channing, a miner, dies in an incident while at work, and according to his contract, if he dies before the completion of his term of service, someone from his family must take up his place at the mines and then to Omega. We follow Michael’s son Caleb and his friends on their 3-day adventure on the surface of the moon before Caleb sets out on his 75-year journey to Omega.
- Director: Kyle Patrick Alvarez
- Release Date: May 12, 2023
- Runtime: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Genre: Adventure, Science-fiction
- Streaming Platforms: Disney+
- Voice Actors: Isaiah Russell-Bailey, Mckenna Grace, Billy Barratt, Orson Hong, Thomas Boyce, and others
- Producers: Dan Cohen, Dan Levine, Shawn Levy
13. Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret.
Not recommended for children below the age of 11. This film is more relevant for pre-teen or pre-puberty girls. It deals with a young girl named Margaret and her internal religious conflicts alongside school and boys. Set in 1970, we follow Margaret and her Christian mother and Jewish father.
After moving to New Jersey and away from her grandmother Sylvia, Margaret started having conversations with God to help her cope with these changes. Growing up, she did not observe any religious holidays, and her parents gave her a choice to observe whichever religion she felt closer to.
She makes new school friends in New Jersey and learns about menstruation and the like. This is a coming-of-age story, so be prepared to witness some intense middle school drama and boys.
At her school in New Jersey, a teacher named Mr. Benedict assigns her a project on religious beliefs. Throughout the movie, we see Margaret trying out different religious activities, like attending church with Sylvia. By the end, even though she still hasn’t made up her mind about religion, she still has a steady communication with God.
- Director: Kelly Fremon Craig
- Based On: Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
- Release Date: April 28, 2023
- Runtime: 1 hour 46 minutes
- Genre: Comedy, Drama, Adaptation
- Streaming Platform: Not Available
- Voice Actors: Rachel McAdams, Abby Ryder Fortson, Elle Graham, Benny Safdie, and others
- Producers: James L. Brooks, Julie Ansell, Richard Sakai, Kelly Fremon Craig, Judy Blume, Amy Lorraine Brooks, Aldric La’auli Porter
14. Trolls Band Together
Trolls Band Together is going to be the third movie in the Trolls franchise. The movie features our main troll couple, Queen Poppy and Branch. Queen Poppy is the queen of the pop troll community, and Branch is a cool laidback pop troll. The two are finally seen as a couple in this movie after having a long-term friendship for the past two movies.
As disclosed by DreamWorks Animation, we are going you follow the couple through the process of saving Branch’s brother Floyd. Poppy was not aware of Branch’s family dynamic before this, and we find out alongside her that Branch has four older brothers that were members of a band called BroZone. The band fell apart long before Branch was old enough to understand, and the brothers seemingly had also parted ways since.
One of the brothers, named Floyd, is kidnapped by villainous pop stars – Veneer and Velvet in order to use him for his musical talents. The movie has some very talented voice actors, and we should expect nothing short of a very entertaining musical from this DreamWorks movie.
- Director: Walt Dohrn
- Release Date: November 17, 2023
- Runtime: Not Available
- Genre: Adventure, Animation, Musical
- Streaming Platforms: Peacock, Netflix
- Voice Actors: Justin Timberlake, Anna Kendrick, Camila Cabello, Eric Andre, Walt Dohrn, Troye Sivan, and others
- Producer: Gina Shey
15. The Monkey King (2023)
Not much is known about this film yet, even though it is set to release in August. The little information I could gather claims this movie was inspired by Chinese folklore. The film features a power monkey with a magical staff, and he uses this staff to battle all sorts of creatures, from dragons to gods and other mystical creatures.
The adventure begins when a dragon steals Monkey’s magical Stick, and even though Monkey wants to retrieve it, his ego comes in the way. While traversing through life and battling these creatures, he becomes acquainted with a little girl from a village who questions Monkey’s attitude and ego.
We watch their friendship grow, and Monkey gradually learns that one does not need to be all-powerful to make a change in this world. They just need to have courage and believe in what they do.
- Director: Anthony Stacchi
- Based On: The Monkey King – Journey to the West by Sun Wukung
- Release Date: August 18, 2023 (wide)
- Runtime: 1 hour 32 minutes
- Genre: Adventure, Folklore, Family
- Streaming Platform: Netflix
- Voice Actors: Jimmy O. Yang, Bowen Yang, Jolie Hoang-Rappaport, Jo Koy, Ron Yuan, Hoon Lee, Stephanie Hsu, Andrew Pang, and others
- Producers: Peilin Chou, Kendra Haaland, Stephen Chow
16. The Secret Kingdom
I cannot help but relate this movie to The Chronicles of Narnia. Anyone that has seen the first installment of the Narnia franchise will be able to understand my point of view. In Narnia, we had an enchanted land accessible through a magical wooden wardrobe that was under threat by the White Queen, and guess what? In The Secret Kingdom, we have an enchanted land located under the bedroom floor which is also under threat.
We follow the two siblings, Peter and Verity, as they step through their bedroom floor and into this magical land known as the Secret Kingdom. The kingdom is being attacked by the Shroud. The leader of this kingdom informs the two that they are destined to be there because they can see the Great Clock of Citadel. They are tasked with restarting time with the help of this clock and defeating the evil Shroud.
On the way, the siblings come across many mystical creatures, adventures, and treasures; now, it is on the viewers to find out how the siblings win this battle.
- Director: Matt Drummond
- Release Date: June 9, 2023 (wide)
- Runtime: 1 hour 38 minutes
- Genre: Adventure, Animation, Family
- Streaming Platform: Amazon Instant Video
- Cast: Alyla Browne, Sam Everingham, Alice Parkinson, Darius Williams, Christopher Gabardi, Beth Champion, and others
- Producers: Matt Drummond, Megan Drummond
17. The Super Mario Bros. Movie
The Super Mario Bros. film adaptation was made in 1993, and it was considered a major failure for the Japanese company Nintendo. After those events, any further expansion of the movie franchise was put to hold. It was not until 2014 that Nintendo was approached by Sony Pictures, and ideas about another movie were introduced.
Universal Pictures Illuminations ultimately sealed the deal and is the production company of the new movie. The Super Mario Bros. Movie is based on the characters from the game, and we have the Italian-American siblings Mario and Luigi with Princess Peach. The two brothers established a plumbing business in New York City, but while at work, they get sucked underground and end up in two different kingdoms.
Mario finds himself in the Mushroom Kingdom and Luigi in the Dark Lands. The ruler of the Dark Lands is the evil Bowser, and he threatens to destroy the Mushroom Kingdom if Princess Peach, the ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom, does not agree to marry him. Bowser takes Luigi hostage, and we see Mario and Princess Peach become a team and set out to defeat Bowser and save the kingdom.
- Directors: Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic
- Release Date: April 5, 2023 (wide)
- Runtime: 1 hour 32 minutes
- Genre: Adventure, Animation, Fantasy
- Streaming Platforms: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Peacock (digital download also available)
- Voice Actors: Anya Taylor-Joy, Jack Black, Chris Pratt, Charlie Day, Seth Rogen, Charles Martinet, and others
- Producers: Shigeru Miyamoto, Chris Meledandri
18. Haunted Mansion (2023)
Another movie with the same name can be found, dating back to 2003. As per sources, this movie might act like a reboot of the previous one. The movie is based on a ride one might see in Disney Land. After the Haunted Mansion attraction gained substantial popularity, Disney decided to give the attraction its own movie, and thus the movie franchise was born.
Again, the marketing companies have not disclosed much about the plot. But if we are to go by the plot and premises of the first movie, the story goes like this – a mother and her son move into a mansion. They soon find paranormal things start to happen and have a feeling of being watched and disliked. To rid themselves of this problem, they call for help from a psychic, a paranormal investigator, a priest, and a history professor.
The little team goes about cleaning the premises of the mansion. Also, by looking at the cast and genre of the film, it is going to be filled with hilarious moments that your children will love.
- Director: Justin Simien
- Release Date: July 28, 2023
- Runtime: Not Available
- Genre: Adventure, Family, Fantasy, Comedy, Supernatural
- Streaming Platform: Disney+ (after the exclusive theatrical run is complete)
- Cast: LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito, Rosario Dawson, and others
- Producers: Jonathan Eirich, Dan Lin
19. The Adventures of Jurassic Pet: The Lost Secret
The Adventures of Jurassic Pet: The Lost Secret is the second installment in the film franchise. The first movie, The Adventures of Jurassic Pet, received a very poor rating on most websites, especially on IMDb, which has a rating of 3.7. But this new installment is seen to do exceptionally well. It has an IMDb rating of 9 with five critics reviews.
The movie is very lighthearted and does not consist of too many difficult themes for the young ones. Wendy, a teenage girl, and her grandmother are given the duty of protecting the land of dinosaurs. They are to always guard the magical doorway that leads to this land. A baby dinosaur named Junior escapes the land and becomes friends with Wendy.
As the movie progresses, we see Junior being captured by criminals who intend to hurt him and use him for their benefit. Wendy takes on the journey to face these criminals and save Junior. On her way, she teams up with an orphan boy named Curtis. The two rescue Junior and send him back to the land of dinosaurs.
- Directors: Ryan Bellgardt, Chris Hoyt
- Release Date: June 1, 2023
- Runtime: 1 hour 24 minutes
- Genre: Adventure, Fantasy
- Streaming Platform: Not Available
- Cast: Sophie Proctor, Myles Currin Moore, LaRonn Marzett, Carolyn Josephine Wright, Drew Pollock, and others
- Producer: Chris Hoyt
20. Migration
From the trailers and teasers, this movie seems to be a laidback comedy that deals with some minor complex family dynamics. The plot, as described by the production company, is very vague as of now.
The story revolves around a cute family of ducks. True to the title, the story is about the migration of this family of ducks during winter. The father is very anxious and overprotective of his family, but the others eventually convince him to travel to the Bahamas. We follow the family as they go on their trip from New England to the Bahamas through New York City.
I could not find anything else about the plot, so let’s say the viewers will have to watch it for themselves to know. The movie is scheduled to release right before Christmas, so remember to add the date to your calendars.
- Director: Benjamin Renner
- Release Date: December 22, 2023
- Runtime: Not Available
- Genre: Adventure, Family, Comedy, Animation
- Streaming Platform: Not Available
- Voice Actors: Kumail Nanjiani, Elizabeth Banks, Caspar Jennings, Tresi Gazal, Awkwafina, Danny DeVito, and others
- Producer: Chris Meledandri
21. Carl’s Date
Even though I have often been told that I have outgrown my Pixar phase, I cannot get past the movie ‘Up (2009)’. Anyone that has seen it can relate when I say, ‘I cried like a baby when Ellie died,’ ignoring the fact that I was an actual baby. The movie is probably the last installment in the ‘Dugs Day’ series.
For those unfamiliar, Dug is the talking dog who was rescued by Car and Russell in ‘Up.’ We later find out that Dug was adopted by Carl and has been his companion ever since. After the death of Ellie, Carl has not tried to form a romantic bond with anyone else, and he is not sure if he even can do so. Dug encourages Carl to take the next big step and go on a date.
According to writers and directors, Carl’s one true love will always be Ellie, and this is just him trying to form more of a friendship than a romantic bond. On her deathbed, Ellie had asked Carl to ‘live his new adventure,’ and this is Carl’s somewhat reluctant attempt to do so. Unfortunate, news for older audiences, Ed Asner, the voice actor for Carl, sadly passed away in 2021 after recording the voiceover. Hope he’s at peace.
- Director: Bob Peterson
- Release Date: June 16, 2023
- Runtime: Not Available
- Genre: Animated, Family, Comedy
- Streaming Platform: Disney+
- Voice Actors: Ed Asner, Bob Peterson
- Producer: Kim Collins
22. Rally Road Racers
It has quite a basic storyline from what I have gathered through multiple review sites. We have our main character, Zhi, who is a slow loris (nocturnal strepsirrhine primate). He participates in a car race and must win it to save his grandmother’s house.
He has no prior experience in the field but takes on the challenge of learning and facing the famous former champion of the said race. He befriends Gnash, who is a retired racer who teaches Zhi his ways. Zhi joins the race and has to win the four-day race on the Silk Road. The story has elements of friendship, family, and minor romantic scenes.
If your children love speeding cars, they will no doubt enjoy this movie. The theatre run is completed, and hence you can stream the movie at home (details below).
- Director: Ross Venokur
- Release Date: May 12, 2023
- Runtime: 1 hour 33 minutes
- Genre: Animation, Comedy
- Streaming Platform: Vudu (Roku Device)
- Voice Actors: Chloe Bennet, J. K. Simmons, Sharon Horgan, Catherine Tate, Jimmy O. Yang, and others
- Producers: Nik Bower, John H. Williams, Deepak Nayar
23. Mummies
Even though Mummies (2023) has an average overall review on IMDb, most parents recommend it and claim that their children were quite invested in the story. The plot is decent and contains a lot of humor.
The story begins by revealing a community of mummies that live in secret in some long-forgotten underground city in Egypt. A nearby tomb is being examined by archaeologists, and it is discovered that an old valuable ring was stolen or unethically taken away by one of the archaeologists named Lord Carnaby. The ring is said to belong to a powerful Egyptian Royal Family, and now they must bring it back.
So we follow Princess Nefer, her charioteer – Thut, Thut’s younger brother, and their pet crocodile as they adventure through present-day London to bring back the ring. The trio faces multiple difficulties trying to adapt to their new environment while also keeping the plot lighthearted and funny. Overall it is a great movie to watch for some comedic enhancement and giggles with your children.
- Director: Juan Jesus Garcia Galocha
- Release Date: February 24, 2023
- Runtime: 1 hour 28 minutes
- Genre: Animation, Family, Comedy
- Streaming Platforms: Youtube, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Amazon Prime Video
- Voice Actors: Joe Thomas, Eleanor Tomlinson, Karina Pasian, Celia Imrie, Hugh Bonneville, Sean Bean, and others
- Producers: Jordi Gasull, Pedro Solis, Toni Novella, Cleber Berretta, Francisco Selma, Marc Sabé
24. The Quest for Tom Sawyer’s Gold
This movie is likely the film adaptation of the book ‘The Adventures of Tom Sawyer’ by Mark Twain. The main characters include a boy named Anthony and his friends, Anthony’s mother, Agatha, and Mrs. Mac. We get some background about Agatha’s past as the film progresses.
Agatha used to be an adventure-loving teen through and through alongside Mrs. Mac. Very much like her son, she often initiated adventures with friends and wasn’t afraid to take risks. But things slowly changed for her when she became a mother. Now Agatha was scared of most things and always protective of her son, Anthony. Agatha, too, had begun her adventure to find Tom Sawyer’s gold before Anthony came to be and had acquired a rival on her way.
She is currently the English teacher at a school and comes to know of Anthony and his friends’ plans to go after the gold. She naturally becomes very tense, but before she can speak to Anthony, he leaves for the South. As the story is narrated, we see how Agatha faces her old rival and recuses Anthony and his friends from the difficult wild while also reminiscing about her past.
The movie has minor use of riffles but nothing too serious. It is considered pretty family-friendly.
- Director: Kirk Harris
- Based On: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
- Release Date: March 28, 2023
- Runtime: 1 hour 28 minutes
- Genre: Family, Adventure
- Streaming Platforms: Prime Video, Redbox, ROW8, Apple TV
- Cast: Joey Lauren Adams, Patrick Muldoon, Alex Hyde-White, Deja Monique Cruz, Scott Bailey, Nick Swezey, and others
- Producers: Nick Pollack, Jerome Reygner Kalfon, Sebastian Semon, Brian Vilim, Zeus Zamani
25. School of Magical Animals
This is another very lighthearted movie on this list to sit and watch with your kids while also teaching them valuable lessons about friendship. The movie features some bit of a German backdrop which the viewers seemed to enjoy. The concept is quite closely related to Harry Potter, as mentioned by the characters as well.
Harry Potter has some dark themes compared to the School of Magical Animals, so this movie could be a lighthearted introduction to the world of fantasy. The protagonist is a girl named Ida, who transferred to Winterstein School and is having a difficult time making friends. Eventually, she befriends another outsider student like herself named Benni.
As school progresses, students are given magical animals as their companions. Ida and Benni are the first ones to receive a magical animal. Ida gets a fox called Rabbat, and Benni gets a turtle called Henrietta. The remainder of the movie is spent bonding and trying to solve a school mystery with the help of these magical animals.
- Director: Gregor Schnitzler
- Original Title (German): Die Schule der magischen Tiere
- Release Date: March 24, 2023
- Runtime: 1 hour 33 minutes
- Genre: Fantasy, Adventure
- Streaming Platforms: Prime Video, Vudu
- Cast and Voice Actors: Emilia Maier, Leonard Conrads, Loris Sichrovsky, Nadja Uhl, Marleen Lohse, and others
- Producers: Alexandra Kordes, Meike Kordes
26. PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie
If you have a child below 7, you’ve definitely heard of this show or even watched it with them. I know I have, with my younger brother. For those unfamiliar with the show by Nickelodeon, it features a young boy named Ryder and his team of puppies. These pups each have specified professions like a firefighter, police officers, and more.
The movie features the same team of pups, but this time, they gain superpowers from a meteor that landed on Earth. A villain named Major Humdinger is seen to escape the Adventure City prison and team up with a meteor scientist named Victoria Vance. Both the villains plan to steal the pups’ meteor and the pups’ powers along with it.
Not many details about the plot can be found online yet, but most children are seen to love the tv show, so the chances of your child liking it is high as well. This movie is a sequel to the PAW Patrol: The Movie (2021). Hence you can watch the two back to back and spend more time watching pups fight crime.
- Director: Cal Brunker
- Release Date: September 29, 2023
- Runtime: Not Available
- Genre: Animation, Adventure
- Streaming Platform: Not Available
- Voice Actors: Mckenna Grace, Taraji P. Henson, Marsai Martin, Kim Kardashian, and others
- Producers: Jennifer Dodge, Toni Stevens, Laura Clunie
27. The Magician’s Elephant
The Magician’s Elephant has a decent IMDb rating of 6.5. The movie is centered around a young boy named Peter who discovers that he has a sister and wants to find her and know if she’s alive and well.
Peter was orphaned before he even registered who his parents were. He was raised by a veteran guardian named Sgt. Lutz. He was wandering about inside a market and came upon a fortune teller who informed Peter that to reach his sister, he needed to find a magician and his elephant.
The King decides to offer help but on one condition. Peter was required to complete three impossible tasks assigned by the King, and only then would Peter receive directions to find the magician and his elephant. While completing these tasks, Peter learns a lot about himself and also changes the views of the people of the Kingdom.
- Director: Wendy Rogers
- Based On: The Magician’s Elephant by Kate DiCamillo
- Release Date: March 17, 2023
- Runtime: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Genre: Animation, Adventure, Fantasy
- Streaming Platform: Netflix
- Voice Actors: Noah Jupe, Benedict Wong, Pixie Davies, Sian Clifford, Brian Tyree Henry, Mandy Patinkin, and others
- Producer: Julia Pistor
28. New Gods: Yang Jian
New Gods: Yang Jian is a Chinese animated film first released in August 2022. It serves as a prequel to New Gods: Nehza Reborn (2021). We follow Yang Jian or Erlang Shen through the years after he has captured his sister underneath a mountain.
Yang Jian is said to be a God with an active third eye, but he chooses to be a bounty hunter thirteen years after the incident with his sister. Yang Jian lives a poor life despite being a God. But things take a turn for good when he is contacted anonymously by a woman for a new job.
While working on this new job, Yang Jian realizes that he is actually chasing after his own nephew. Yang Jian had no contact with his family and thus failed to keep track of his nephew, who was the son of his imprisoned sister. Chenxiang is said to be after a magical lotus lantern that has the capability to bestow great power on the beholder.
Yang Jian must beat Chenxiang to find the lotus lantern and stop him from freeing Yang Jian’s sister from the mountains.
- Director: Zhao Ji
- Based On: Investiture of the Gods by Xu Zhonglin and Lu Xixing
- Release Date: August 19, 2023
- Runtime: 1 hour 56 minutes
- Genre: Animation, Adventure, Fantasy
- Streaming Platforms: iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, Vudu
- Voice Actors (English): Nicholas Andrew Louie, Christine Lin, Parry Shen, Luke Naphat Sath, James Sie, and others
- Producer: Lu Xi
29. Heart of a Champion
Good for kids that like animals, especially horses. Not much of a film to be enjoyed by the parents, though. As per the reviews, the characters seem to be lacking the required level of depth, and overall the filmmakers could’ve done a better job.
We are introduced to 14-year-old Charlie, who is trying her best to cope with the separation of her parents while also standing up against the mean girls in middle school. Through all of it, one day, she finds a horse that seems to be lost. Charlie immediately wants to keep it and slowly begins to care for it.
Soon after, she starts training the horse and herself to participate in a championship. She learns that one of her bullies from school will also be participating, and thus she sets her heart on winning the championship. Throughout, we see some light family drama and how Charlie finally wins the championship with her new horse.
- Director: Brad Keller
- Release Date: February 17, 2023
- Runtime: 1 hour 26 minutes
- Genre: Family, Adventure
- Streaming Platforms: Hoopla (buying and renting options also available)
- Cast: Casper Van Dien, YaYa Gosselin, Edward Furlong, Jojo Marie, and others
- Producer: Miriam Elchanan
30. Heroes of the Golden Masks
The story is inspired by the historic bronze masks found in the city of Sanxingdui in the 1980s. Our main character is an orphan, homeless young boy named Charlie who lives on the streets of Chicago.
Life has not treated him too kindly. He eventually learns to fend for himself and knows quite a number of tricks with his quick hands. One day Charlie is mysteriously thrown back in time to the ancient city of Sanxingdui. Here he learns that the city is under serious threat from a ruthless conqueror.
In the city of Sanxingdui, Charlie and the audience witness five heroes, all wearing similar golden masks and fighting off the ruthless conqueror Kun-Yi. The five heroes get their powers from the golden masks, and Charlie is offered a place amongst them and is asked to help out despite the previous events. Charlie wishes to steal the masks for himself after he gets rid of Kun-Yi.
- Director: Sean Patrick O’Reilly
- Release Date: June 9, 2023
- Runtime: Not Available
- Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Kids
- Streaming Platforms: Not Available
- Voice Actors: Kiefer O’Reilly, Ron Perlman, Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Christopher Plummer, and others
- Producers: Michelle O’Reilly, Sean Patrick O’Reilly
31. Crescent Gang
Five foster kids, Liberty, Carleigh, Haven, Lailah, and Daisy, have been in the foster care system for as long as they can remember and are seen to have a sibling-like bond with each other. They soon discover that their foster guardian is planning to sell the property they reside in.
This change in the living situation would mean the separation of the children, which they plan to stop. A new kid is introduced into the group, and together they plan out an elaborate and somewhat hopeless attempt at saving their home and sticking together.
The children go through a series of adventures in Las Vegas in an attempt to succeed in their plan, but eventually, all roads lead them to the very point they started out at.
- Director: Onyx Keesha, Gino Raphael Payne
- Release Date: June 13, 2023
- Runtime: 1 hour 22 minutes
- Genre: Adventure, Drama, Kids
- Streaming Platforms: Not Available
- Voice Actors: Mariah Tavares, Valeria Camero, Kira Marie, Mia Danae’ Brathwaite, Olivia Kaiser, Zenja Dunn, and others
- Producers: Onyx Keesha, Maxie McClintock, Mario Payne
32. Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget serves as a sequel to Chicken Run (2000) and is a stop-motion animated movie. Ginger is a chicken who lives on Tweedy’s farm. Mr. and Mrs. Tweedy keep all their chickens well-fed and run a business selling the eggs of these chickens. But when the chickens get too old to lay eggs, the Tweedy’s eat them for the meat.
After multiple failed attempts at trying to escape the chicken farm, Ginger, with the help of Rocky and Fowler, is finally able to free the flock and live on an island with no humans. Everything was going smoothly, the flock was safe and happy, and Ginger and Rocky hatched a new addition to the flock, Molly. But soon, news arrived from outside the island about a new crisis in the chicken world.
Ginger was concerned, and even though the entire flock had severely risked their lives and gained freedom, they all collectively agreed to go back to the humans and save their fellow chickens.
- Director: Sam Fell
- Release Date: Not Available
- Runtime: Not Available
- Genre: Comedy, Animated
- Streaming Platforms: Peacock, Netflix
- Voice Actors: Thandiwe Newton, Zachary Levi, Bella Ramsey, Daniel Mays, Lymm Ferguson, and others
- Producers: Steve Pegram, Leyla Hobart
33. Leo
We see Leo, a very old lizard living inside a terrarium for years. The terrarium is situated in an elementary school in Florida. Leo also has a friend, a turtle, who lives in the terrarium. The two spend their time observing the kids at school.
One day Leo learns that his average lifespan is 75 years, and he is already 74 years old, which means he has only one remaining year to see the world and enjoy his natural habitat instead of the artificial closure. Leo, alongside his turtle friend, plans an escape, but things get messy and completely different from the initial plan.
Leo gets stuck trying to help out the anxious little kids of the elementary school and guarding them against their somewhat malicious substitute teacher. Leo is voiced by Adam Sandler and is listed under the musical comedy genre. Hopefully, children are going to have a good laugh and relate to the elementary school life of the children in the movie.
- Directors: Robert Marianetti, Robert Smigel, David Wachtenheim
- Release Date: November 22, 2023
- Runtime: Not Available
- Genre: Comedy, Animated, Musical
- Streaming Platform: Netflix
- Voice Actors: Adam Sandler, Stephanie Hsu, Jackie Sandler, Sheila Carrasco, Bill Burr, and others
- Producer: Not Available
34. Chupa
Chupa is a fantasy adventure movie from 26th Street Pictures and is centered around the fictional being Chupacabra. Chupacabras are shown to be powerful mythical creatures, and scientists believe them to be helpful in experiments. Thus, they set out to hunt them. The creatures look like a mixture of a lion cub and a koala with strong wings.
The story begins with a scientist locating a chupacabra with a cub and hunting it down, but while on the run, the adult chupacabra gets hit by a car, and the scientist is unsuccessful in finding the cub.
A young boy named Alex finds the baby chupacabra after recently moving to Mexico with his extended family and decides to keep it a secret. He later finds out that his grandfather was the one to accidentally kill the mother chupacabra and thus had decided to provide protection for the cub in their backyard. After Alex’s cousins find this out, they collectively decide to protect the cub.
The movie has an average review overall, mostly because it faced some backlash over the title. It is quite a laid-back movie to watch with your family and teach your toddlers a thing or two about friendship and bonding.
- Director: Jonas Cuaron
- Release Date: April 7, 2023
- Runtime: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Genre: Adventure, Fantasy
- Streaming Platform: Netflix
- Voice Actors and Cast: Demian Bichir, Evan Whitten, Christian Slater, Ashley Ciarra, Julio Cesar Cedillo
- Producers: Mark Radcliffe, Michael Barnathan, Chris Columbus
35. White Bird
White Bird is not very toddler friendly; it has mature themes like loss during war and the Nazis. You can surely watch it with children under the age of 13, but I am afraid they would not understand the emotional impact of it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8l8Fz0ObiEw
The story begins with Julian, the grandson of our protagonist Sarah Alabans. White Bird could be considered a sequel to Wonder (2017), both of which are based on graphic novels written by R. J. Palacio. Julian is seen to leave Beecher Prep in the beginning but, ever since, has lost his sense of belonging. Soon his grandmother from France pays him a visit.
Sarah Alabans tells Julain her own story of survival in the darkest of times. The Nazis attacked France when Sarah, a young Jewish girl, was taken in by a classmate and his family. Sarah gradually fell in love with this boy and created a happy world amidst the chaos of World War II. The boy’s parents also loved Sarah dearly and protected her the best they could.
- Director: Mark Forster
- Based On: White Bird: A Wonder Story by R. J. Palacio
- Release Date: August 25, 2023 (wide)
- Runtime: 2 hours 2 minutes
- Genre: Adventure, Drama, War
- Streaming Platform: Apple TV+
- Cast: Bryce Gheisar, Orlando Schwerdt, Ariella Glaser, Helen Mirren, and others
- Producers: Todd Lieberman, David Hoberman, R. J. Palacio
Also Read: 100 Good Movies on Netflix to Watch In 2023
